4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 1

Understanding Hydrocarbon
Fluid Properties and Behavior
Source: Djamel Eddine Ouzzane
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 2
Outline

Application of Fluid Properties

Volumetric Relationships used by Reservoir
Engineers

Different Sources to Obtain Fluid Properties

PVT Analysis and Fluid Compositions

Aspects of Sampling

4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 3
Application of Fluid Properties
Phase Behavior and Compositional Concepts
are required to determine.
How much oil or gas is present
How much can be recovered
How fast it can be recovered
Reservoir management and
production strategies
Fluid
Properties
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 4
Properties Required for Reservoir
Engineering Calculations
Formation Volume
Factor of Oil B
O

Solution Gas-Oil
Ratio R
S

Oil and Gas Densities

Coefficient of Isothermal
Compressibility C
0

Formation Volume
Factor of Gas B
g

Gas Compressibility
Factor Z

Oil - Gas Viscosities

Coefficient of Thermal
Expansion o
0

4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 5
Gas Formation Volume Factor
Oil
Gas
V
R
V
SC
B
g
Volume at Reservoir (P,T)
Volume at (P
sc
,T
sc
)
Well Stream
=
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 6
Oil Formation Volume Factor
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
Pressure [psia]
B
o

f
o
r

V
o
l
a
t
i
l
e

O
i
l
1
1.05
1.1
1.15
1.2
1.25
1.3
1.35
B
o

f
o
r

B
a
l
c
k

O
i
l
Volatile Oil Black Oil
Bubble Point
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 7
Gas - Oil Ratio
GOR - R
S

Separator
Stock Tank
Gas
Separator Oil
Stock Tank Oil
GOR =
Volume of Gas at (P
sc
, T
sc
)
Volume of Oil at (Psc, Tsc)

(Standard Conditions)
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 8
Gas - Oil Ratio
GOR - R
S

0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
Pressure [psia]
R
s

[
m
3
/
m
3
]
Bubble Point
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 9
How to Obtain Fluid
Properties
Laboratory Analysis Black Oil Correlations
Compositional Models Equation of State
Measured Data on
Fluid Sample @
Reservoir Conditions

Calculated Data using
Validated Correlations
On Specific Oil databases

Calculated Data using
Consistent Thermodynamic
Models based on Fluid Compositions

4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 10
How to Obtain Fluid
Properties
1. Laboratory PVT Analysis
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 11
How to Obtain Fluid
Properties
2. Black Oil Correlations
Standing Correlation for Bubble Point
Rs : Dissolved Gas to Oil Ratio

g
: Gas Gravity
API

: Oil Stock Tank Density
T : Reservoir Temperature in degrees F

4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 12
How to Obtain Fluid Properties
Restricted to the type of oil from which they were
derived
2. Black Oil Correlations
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 13
How to Obtain Fluid Properties !
3. Compositional Modeling - Equation of
State - EOS
12 -
10 ( |
.
|

\
|

2
V
i
L
i
f
f
1
( ) ( )
( )
( )
( )
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ +
+
(
(
(
(
(

= |

=
B 2 1 Z
B 2 1 Z
ln
b
b
a
a x 2
2 2 B
A
B Z ln 1 Z
b
b
ln
i
N
1 j
ij j
i
i
) b V ( b ) b V ( V
) T ( a
b V
RT
P
+ +

=
( ) ( ) ( )
3 2 2 2 3
B B AB Z B 3 B 2 A Z B 1 Z +
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 14
How to Obtain Fluid Properties !
3. Compositional Modeling
Equation of State - EOS


Based on Equilibrium Criteria
Y
1
Y
2
Y
3
Y
n
X
1
X
2
X
3
X
n
Z
1
Z
2
Z
3
Z
n
Temperature
Pressure
Gas
Liquid
Equilibrium
Ratio
Fluid Mixture
K
i
Yi
Xi
=
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 15
Compositions & Phases
Hydrocarbons
Non
Hydrocarbons
Phase:
Solid/liquid
gas
Paraffins
Naphtenes
Aromatics
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Sulfur
CO
2
Asphaltenes
Wax
Resins
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 16
Hydrocarbon Families & Other
Reservoir Components
NON HYDROCARBONS
N
2
upto10%
CO
2
4%
H
2
S 6%
H
2
, He
Na, K, Fe, Cu,
Zn,
CaCl
2
,
MgCl
2
5%
O
2
Aromatics
Cyclic
Aliphatics
Laboratory Analysis - C1-C6 and C7+
HYDROCARBONS
Aliphatic
Paraffins
Olefins
Naphtenics
Alkanes Alkenes
Alkynes
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 17
What are Compositions ?
Asphaltene Structure
Wax (Paraffin) Structure
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 18
Phase Envelope
Bubble point
line
Liquid
Vapour
Vapour
0
Dew point
line
10
20
40
2-phase Region
A
B
D
E
F
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
Temperature (
o
C)
P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e

(
p
s
i
a
)

Critical Point
Dew Point Region
Bubble Point Region
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 19
Typical Reservoir Fluid
Compositions
Component Formula Dry Gas Wet Gas Retrogrde gas Volatile Oil Black Oil
Nitrogen N2 0.30 0.20 3.68 1.21 0.36
Carbon Dioxide CO2 1.10 2.10 1.28 2.10 0.29
Methane CH4 90.00 85.00 78.56 60.50 23.97
Ethane C2H6 4.90 4.70 5.62 7.75 6.42
Propane C3H8 1.70 3.20 3.54 4.75 7.64
iso-Butane i-C4H10 0.60 1.20 0.36 2.27 1.79
normal-Butane n-C4H10 0.50 1.00 2.19 2.01 5.29
iso-Pentane i-C5H12 0.30 0.90 0.19 1.96 2.98
normal-Pentane n-C5H12 0.20 0.80 1.98 0.88 3.27
Hexanes C6H14 0.20 0.30 0.68 1.90 4.85
Heptanes C7H16 0.20 0.60 0.51 2.51 7.09
Octanes C8H18 0.44 2.45 7.67
Nonanes C9H20 0.20 1.68 5.19
Decanes C10H22 0.12 1.45 4.47
Undecanes C11H24 0.06 1.05 2.96
Dodecanes plus C12 plus 0.59 5.53 15.76
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 20
How to Obtain Fluid Samples ?
Need Fluid Properties
Need Samples

Surface Sampling

Bottom Hole Sampling

Formation Tester Sampling

4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 21
Surface Sampling
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 22
Bottom Hole Sampling
Preserved Samples

Reservoirs Conditions

Selective Sampling
Zones

Sampling early in the
life of the reservoir with
minimum disturbance

Lower overall cost


4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 23
Formation Tester Sampling
Assess reservoir fluid
quality
Contamination
Monitoring
Insitu Bubble point
determination


4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 24
Samples Poor Quality
Is Sample Quality a Concern ?
Maximum
Acceptable
Uncertainty
Typically <10 %
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 25
Is Sample Quality a Concern ?
$
4/4/2014 SPE Continuing Education 26
Conclusions

Fluid properties are required in various
disciplines of petroleum engineering
Petroleum fluids are complex mixtures and
therefore accurate properties must be
obtained
Laboratory analysis generally provide
reliable data
The compositional approach is preferred
and widely used
Samples may be collected using various
methods however obtaining a
representative sample is crucial.